


Our Red String

by eita_kun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Red String of Fate, Soulmate AU, suga and oikawa are demi-humans, they can see red strings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 15:18:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6429676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eita_kun/pseuds/eita_kun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes red strings don't always work out as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Red String

“ _One day, whether you are 14, 28 or 65,_

_You will stumble upon someone whole will start a fire in you that cannot die,_

_However, the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find-_

_is that they are not always with whom we spend our lives...”_

\- Beau Taplin, Hunting Season -

 

~

 

“ _You can see the red strings?”_

“ _Yes.”_

“ _Can you see yours?”_

“ _I don’t have one. I’m not allowed one.”_

“ _Not allowed? Why?”_

“ _Demi-humans can’t have soulmates.”_

“ _What about mine? Who’s my soulmate?”_

“ _I….I can’t see yours.”_

“ _What?”_

“ _I don’t think you have a soulmate.”_

_The crushing weight of that realisation made the boy’s shoulders slump and he leaned back against the stone shrine with a slow exhale. So he wasn’t bound to anyone._

_The silver haired boy that had told him, a newcomer to the academy they were currently being schooled in, sighed slowly as he leaned back and looked up at the blue sky, seeing the petals of the cherry blossoms flutter in the wind as other kids danced and played around them._

_Red strings connected some of them to each other, others trailed off into the distance in all directions._

“ _I’m sorry.”_

“ _Not your fault. You can only see them.”_

“ _You look like you wanted to meet them though.”_

_The dark haired boy looked over at him, quiet for a minute as he watched the other’s face. His eyes were closed, feeling the cool breeze against his pale skin as his dark eyelashes brushed his cheeks just below the beauty mark below his eye._

_He was pretty, for a boy anyway. And even if Daichi didn’t have a soulmate, if he had Koushi as a friend then soulmates weren’t needed._

“ _It’s whatever. Besides it’s not fair if I get one and you don’t.”_

_~_

_An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet._

Only a handful of people in the world can see the network of red strings that bind people together as mates for life.

These people are demi-humans, gifted with the eyes of the gods to see the fates of those surrounding them.

Their sacrifice for this ability is that they can never have a soulmate of their own, and must live their lives free of love.

_This thread connects them regardless of time, place or circumstance._

~

“Daichi! Are you still thinking about the red strings?” Noya asked, noticing the older of them was spacing out a lot during their conversation.

“They’re not that big of deal, you know...” Asahi sighed, sitting crosslegged with Noya situated firmly in his lap and near hanging off of his neck.

“You two are so happy together though… I can’t have what you two have.”

“So just be with Koushi, he doesn’t have one either, does he?”

“He’s a demi-human so no..”

“Ssssh!! Not out loud, remember?! Kou asked not to let anyone else know.”

Yuu covered his mouth with both hands, looking around in case anyone had heard but their dorm seemed to be busy with whatever they were doing.

There were only two demi-humans at their school, Koushi and Oikawa, but Oikawa was the only one who was known to be one by the general school alumni.

He knew, of course, that Koushi was one, but was one of 4 people that knew altogether – including Daichi, Asahi and Noya.

“Sorry!”

“Anyway, I don’t care about soulmates.”

Noya scoffed, rolling his eyes as he poked him with his foot. “You’re obviously lying.”

“Has Koushi met his soulmate?” Asahi interrupted the conversation before Daichi could retort.

“He can’t have one.”

“Huh?”

“Demi-humans can’t have them apparently.”

“It’s true, we can’t.” A silky smooth voice echoed above them, and Oikawa stood there in his pale blue robes, soft smile on his face.

“That’s stupid.” Noya huffed, making Oikawa laugh in amusement. “I agree, Yuu-chan. But that’s how it is.”

~

“ _There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.”_

\- Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever -

~

Daichi and Koushi sat on the rooftop, watching the sun sink further behind the horizon. Pretty shades of orange and blue flooded the sky, interspersed with white clouds.

A bird flew low and nearly came close enough for Koushi to reach out and touch it, but he was still and let it sit just a few feet from him.

Their hands were just touching, little fingers brushing against each other as they leaned back against the tiles and watched the sky.

It was peaceful, the only noise being the background sounds of the other students leaving to go home and the hum of the city below them.

Koushi looked over to see Daichi with his eyes closed, their positions reversed from a year before when he’d told him his red string didn’t exist.

His tan skin was even more golden under the light of the setting sun, and it seemed almost enticing and so Koushi could barely help himself as he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“Kou?”

Realising that he’d acted before thinking, Koushi was up like a shot, running off to hide his embarrassment.

He was just projecting his loneliness onto Daichi, he was bitter that he couldn’t have a soulmate so he was just projecting his feelings onto the one person he knew that wasn’t bound to anyone.

He really was an idiot.

~

“ _I believe in the immeasurable power of love; that true love can endure any circumstance and reach across any distance.”_

\- Steve Maraboli -

~ 

“Koushi! Hey, wait up!”

“I’m sorry, Daichi! Okay? I’m sorry!”

“Will you just listen to me for one second instead of overthinking everything?”

Koushi stared at him from across the road, seeing him doubled over after the effort of chasing after him and sighing, ducking his head as he waited for him to continue.

“Kou, you’re my best friend, and I know you can’t have a soulmate and I don’t have one but wouldn’t it just be ideal if we fell in love, just you and me?”

Koushi blinked and he glanced off to the side as Daichi approached him, hands moving to cup his cheeks and run his thumb over his pale cheekbone.

“I mean, if you’ll have me then...”

He was silenced with a kiss; a chaste, fleeting one that made warmth erupt in his chest and heat rise to his cheeks.

“Wouldn’t want anyone else.”

~

_It’s said that humans can be temporarily gifted the power to see the red strings, but that they can’t see their own or that of their soulmates._

_Only when both or half of the pair is close to death can they see their own._

~

“No, no, no...”

He could finally see their red string, connecting their little fingers with neat little bows. It could have been such a beautiful sight to him but he was shocked to see it was torn and nearly ripped clean in two in a few places.

“Koushi, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

“Daichi.. we're soulmates.." 

“What…?”

“But our red string, it’s ruined...”

“What?! Why?!”

“Demi-humans can’t have soulmates, we can’t be together...” Koushi nearly sobbed, reaching out to some of the broken parts, hoping to keep them joined so he wouldn’t have to lose Daichi. “This isn’t fair! I love you, Daichi, so much but...”

“Kou-chan..”

The couple looked up to the doorway, where Oikawa was looking despondent and like he almost pitied them.

“Oikawa… what are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Daichi narrowed his eyes and stepped between the two of them, hand still resting on his soulmate’s shoulder.

“Why alone? Why can’t I hear it?”

“If Kou-chan wants to tell you, he can. But this concerns him more than you.”

“Hey, you listen here...”

“Daichi, please let me talk to him.”

Daichi looked between them and sighed in resignation, putting his hands up in surrender before walking outside and letting the two demi-humans talk in peace.

~

“ _For some people, ‘the point of no return’ begins at the very moment their souls become aware of each others’ existence.”_

\- Steve Maraboli -

~

A month after Koushi and Oikawa had talked, nothing seemed to have changed except Koushi had been a lot happier, even if it didn’t seem too genuine.

They were sat in some woods, at the stairs of the shrine they had first met at, looking over at the water and waiting for the firework display of the festival they had decided to see.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Koushi exhaled slowly, smiling gently.

“Yeah, yeah it is.”

“I’m gonna miss this...” Daichi frowned at that, pulling away from his soulmate to look at him in confusion.

“Koushi?”

“Daichi, I need to tell you something.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“No, no it can’t.”

“Okay...I’m listening...”

“I was right saying that demi-humans can’t have soulmates. They shouldn’t. But something messed up with us. A demi-human with a soulmate won’t last long once they find them.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that ever since we realised we were soulmates, my days were numbered.”

It took a moment for Daichi to come to terms with what Koushi had said and when he did, it was with a strained voice, like what he was saying, he didn’t want to believe.

“So...you’re….”

“I’m dying? Simply, yes.”

“Well, how long do you have left? Why are you telling me this now?”

Koushi turned back to him, tears dripping down his cheeks as he took Daichi’s hands in his own and looked at their interlaced fingers.

“Not long. Not long at all.”

“It’s your last day, isn’t it? Koushi! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

“I’m sorry.”

They must have looked a pair, two 17 year old boys holding each other closely and murmuring emotional words to each other, phrases mixed with tears.

“Hey, look down.”

Daichi pulled away in confusion, his eyes moving from Koushi’s face to their hands. He blinked as he saw the broken string that laced their fates together, resting his forehead against Koushi’s as rain fell around them.

“I hate it.”

“You do?”

“I hate what it means for you. I hate that you’re leaving me. I hate it.”

“Well...I love it.”

“You do?”

“I love that it means I’m not going to die unloved, like I thought I had to."

“But..”

“It’ll be okay. I’ll be with you anyway. Red strings don’t break when their owners do, you know?”

Resting his head back against Daichi’s shoulder, Koushi smiled and looked over at the water. The cool stone of the shrine was welcome through his clothes as he sat wrapped up in his soulmate’s arms. He could feel the warmth of Daichi’s chest against his back and, despite the rain falling down on them, felt warmer than if the sun had been shining at its brightest.

His eyes closed in content, and he had never felt so happy to be sitting in silence. He raised Daichi’s hand to press against his own chest, letting him feel his heartbeat under his palm as he entwined their fingers.

“You know I’ll always love you, don’t you..Daichi?”

“And I’ll always love you, Kou...”

“I’m glad. “

Daichi could feel his heartbeat slowing, to dangerous levels, and he buried his face in the back of Koushi’s shoulder, freely crying as droplets of salt water dripped down his cheeks and wet the back of Suga’s jumper.

“ _Please don’t go, please… I don’t want to be without you...”_

“ _Koushi...”_

“ _I love you...”_

Muffled cries broke the silence of the woods, and Koushi sighed slowly, running his thumb over his hand.

“I love you too.”

And it seemed to Daichi like his heartbeat was still going weakly one moment but then he was clutching onto thin air, left alone in the empty space.

And almost at the same time as Koushi disappearing, fireworks from the festival erupted into the sky with all of his late soulmate’s favourite colours; blues and greens of the brightest shades.

They were celebrating, but Daichi was mourning. They could have long lives with their soulmates, but his own was cut short because of a stupid reason.

He could still see the red string, immaculate and tidy now, but the end faded into nothingness.

“Daichi?”

“Noya… Asahi..”

“Is Koushi here? He said you two were coming here too!”

“Daichi?” Noya tried once more, before Asahi let go of his boyfriend’s hand, stepping towards Daichi and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Where’s Koushi?”

“He’s gone.”

“What?”

“He’s _gone_.”

And as Noya and Asahi both dropped everything to comfort their friend, a silver butterfly moved to settle down on the shrine, watching the scene with a fondness that the trio couldn’t see through their tears and from the distance between them.

_~_

“ _I’m done. I don’t need anything more out of life. I had you, and that’s enough.”_

\- Alessandre Torre -

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I like sad stuff okay, let me live. Seriously though, this was a surprisingly hard fic to write and I feel like it might be a little bit clumsy in how it jumps around a lot but whatever, I might go back and edit it.
> 
> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed!!


End file.
